Brisbane-based pop-rock singer-songwriter, Blade Hooper recently released his debut single 'In Favour Of Us'.
Combining smooth guitar and broody songwriting, Blade wants to make you feel. His music springs forth from a well of inspiration that includes Silverchair, Jeff Buckley, Chet Faker and John Mayer.As he puts it: "It doesn't have to sound like rock to be rock."
'In Favour Of Us' is a polished slice of upbeat, cheerful pop-rock perfectly suited for mainstream radio. "The process of 'In Favour Of Us' is kinda funny," Blade says, who originally hails from Perth.
"I originally wrote the music and melody back in late 2019 in approximately 15 minutes. The chorus was the only lyrics I had which stuck, but then it was earlier this year I rewrote the verses and created more of a relationship narrative.
"It came from my own relationship experience during the pandemic where everyday felt like Groundhog Day and super predictable. I just wanted to escape it all because I felt like I was in a rut and questioned everything.
"I workshopped the song form and lyrics a bit with good friend and mentor Nathan Seiler, who produced Jordan Rakei's debut EP back in 2013. He helped me flesh out ideas and get perspective on the music when I was feeling mentally clouded."
scenestr is stoked to premiere the lyric music video for 'In Favour Of Us' today. Enjoy.
Blade, who comes from a family of musicians with both his father and grandfather having had music careers, used the songwriting process to find clarity in his own personal situation.
"This song was like a cathartic affirmation to me. It helped me validate my own feelings about my situation and realise that it can be easy to lose yourself in a relationship, let alone a global pandemic haha, but ultimately it made me feel alright.
"The music is heavily inspired by early Mayer tunes like 'No Such Thing', reminding me of a different, simpler time before I was old enough to date or be bogged down by adulting woes."
Blade and his band play Tomcat (Brisbane) 28 November.
